Give Santa back! Turkish professor calls for return of St Nicholas’ bones which were taken to the Vatican in the 11th century
Worldwide, Daily news | ankakh | December 24, 2012 21:31
With an address at the North Pole, every child knows where Santa Claus lives.
But the ancient remains of the person on whom the mythical figure of Father Christmas is based are at the centre of a tug-of-war.
An archaeologist has called on the Vatican to return the bones of St Nicholas, the original Santa Claus, to his home town in Turkey.
Professor Nvzat Cevik said the bones of the third century saint were taken out of the country in 1087 ‘by force’ and buried in Italy.
Christmas is not widely celebrated in the Muslim nation of Turkey.
But Santa Claus is based on stories about St Nicholas who built a reputation for performing miracles and secretly giving gold to the needy.
On one occasion, according to stories, he climbed down a chimney to leave his donation.
After his death in the year 343 Nicholas was buried in his hometown of Myra.
Arab forces who occupied Myra in the 11th century excavated the bones and brought them back to the Italian port of Bari where they are buried to this day.
Despite lacking St Nicholas’s bones the ancient town of Myra, which is now called Demre, houses a museum dedicated to his good deeds and attracts scores of visitors each year.
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